We had a great turnout of enthusiastic volunteers on Sunday, May 16 work party. The day was devoted to planning trails in the portion of Reiter identified for motorized trail development. Read more on DNR’s ‘Ear to the Ground’ Blog at: http://bit.ly/98VNS7
DNR staff and volunteers have been doing field work using GPS equipment to identify locations for sustainable trail development. Portions of the future 4x4 and ATV Trunk Trail systems have been mapped.

A half dozen folks have signed up to be forest watch volunteers, and we are working with them to schedule patrols. When Reiter Foothills Forest reopens, they will be our ambassadors in the woods, providing information to users about where they can and can’t recreate, and improving safety by creating a presence in the area. Some of our forest watch volunteers are already out patrolling along the county road and making contacts with people. If you see one of these volunteers, be sure to thank them for being out there!

Illegal activities on the rise

DNR staff have noticed increased illegal activities at Reiter in the past few weeks. Recently, staff issued a $500 fine to people caught sawing up a downed cedar tree for firewood. At last Sunday’s work party, one of our forest watch volunteers discovered people who had set up camp and had parked their car illegally and had a campfire. These folks were also issued a citation.

Other signs of illegal activities: Some of the DNR signs are missing. We’ve seen tracks from off road vehicles, horses, and mountain bikes in the closed area.

As a reminder, Reiter Foothills Forest is still temporarily closed to unauthorized vehicles, mountain bikes, or horses. Currently, the only allowed use is by foot. It is unlawful to operate any unauthorized vehicles in the Reiter Foothills Forest. If you see any suspicious activities, please call our regional office at 360-856-3500 or call 911.

What’s Next

The Reiter Foothills Focus Group Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26. We’ll be presenting a draft concept map of the non-motorized trails and will be asking for further input.

June 5, 2010 is National Trails Day, and we’ll be celebrating with a work party. Meet at the usual time—9:30 a.m.— and at the same place—the gravel parking area off Reiter Road. Stay tuned for more details on what kind of work we’ll be doing to honor National Trails Day.

Directions to the Reiter gravel parking area: Travel U.S. Hwy 2 to the southeast outskirts of Gold Bar. Turn north on Reiter Road, and in less than a mile you will come to a split in the road. Continue to your right on Reiter Road to the old gravel pit/parking area.

Get involved!

If you’re interested in helping at Reiter Foothills Forest, we can always use volunteers to help with restoration work and trail planning, construction, and maintenance projects. For more information, contact David Way, 360-854-2830 or david.way@dnr.wa.gov.